Principal turnover, especially in the most challenging schools, continues be a major problem within the reform movement to improve student performance in public education (Béteille, Kalogrides, & Loeb, 2012; Conley & Cooper, 2011; Hull, 2012). Dwindling financial resources, increased accountability measures, and the increased complexity of the job has led to increased stress and eventual turnover of school leaders (Conley & Cooper, 2011; Hull, 2012; Villani, 2006; Weingartner, 2009). The need for principals to lead the reform efforts necessary to improve student performance is critical, however, the average tenure for principals in Georgia is 3.5 years (Aud et al., 2012). The purpose of this study was to examine the problem of principal turnover by examining the role of formal mentoring and investigating whether or not formal mentoring makes a difference in principal job satisfaction and retention. A quantitative survey design was used to gather responses from three research questions. Principals with five years of experience or fewer working in 17 Race to the Top districts in Georgia were surveyed using the Principal Induction and Mentoring Survey (Aycock, 2006). The findings from the study revealed that the majority of respondents participated in formal mentoring; and the mentoring experiences ranged from identifying the mentee's developmental needs and strengths as well as helping to forge a strong, collegial relationship with the mentor. There was a significant difference between principals who participated in formal mentoring and those who had informal or no mentoring and their level of job satisfaction. However, no significant difference was found for the intent to remain on the job between the two groups. Both groups indicated a higher intent to remain on the job for the foreseeable future with very few respondents indicating that they would take a central office position or leave for a higher paying job. Conclusions and implications discussed may guide school districts and the state department of education to review the principal induction support strategies that are effective in the socialization of new principals. A framework for including formal mentoring as an embedded human resources strategy for the recruitment and retention of quality principals is beneficial. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]